Please explain..

[Piers_K]

Brought my Dslr a couple of years ago and although I have an understanding of taking photos.. its not exactly technical.. so I thought Id ask you guys

Ive been going through and deleting some of last years photos and there are a few shots that look to have a very shallow DOF.. but I dont think its down to that.. the shot below is an example of what I mean.. JPS logo in focus (OK, very almost ) and not much else

Shot settings.. F4.. 1/125 at 70mm





I kinda like it.. and theres obviously a reason why it happens.. but I guess there are 4 shots from last year like it.. out of more photos than is healthy for a guy in his mid 30's to be taking of cars
So rather than fluke it this year.. Id like to have a go at getting them on purpose.. so.. over to you guys.. please explain...

Tia..

[matthew_h]

That's not really down to DoF, it is mainly motion blur. Your panning has not quite kept the whole car steady in the frame and hence the blur of the car. The logo is the bit that has moved the least in relation to the frame and hence appears to be sharpest.

It is mainly down to the relatively low shutter speed of 125th making it harder to keep the car steady within the frame.

FWIW, I really like this effect as it portrays good movement and speed

Hope you understand what I mean

Edited by matthew_h on Friday 15th February 11:47

[Piers_K]

The JPS logo is almost like a pivot point, and Ive rotated the camera a fraction as Ive panned?

[kybo]

I have the same problem (I mean effect) on a lot of my photos, too, which I simply put down to shakey hands and ropey panning on my part (inexperience really). Interesting to know why half the car (in my shots) is in focus and half isn't. Keep the reasons coming as I need all the excuses I can get

Thanks,
Scott

[bren.wright]

Try more around the region of f8 for panning...

[trackdemon]

Piers_K said:

The JPS logo is almost like a pivot point, and Ive rotated the camera a fraction as Ive panned?

Exactly; its a specific panning effect that many photographers like to achieve.

Achieving the effect is a combination of focal length vs distance from object, and to a lesser degree shutter speed.

Closer you are to the object = greater 'pivot'
Narrower the focal length = less 'pivot'
Slower shutter speed = more 'pivot'

[JustinP1]

Piers_K said:

Brought my Dslr a couple of years ago and although I have an understanding of taking photos.. its not exactly technical.. so I thought Id ask you guys

Ive been going through and deleting some of last years photos and there are a few shots that look to have a very shallow DOF.. but I dont think its down to that.. the shot below is an example of what I mean.. JPS logo in focus (OK, very almost ) and not much else

Shot settings.. F4.. 1/125 at 70mm





I kinda like it.. and theres obviously a reason why it happens.. but I guess there are 4 shots from last year like it.. out of more photos than is healthy for a guy in his mid 30's to be taking of cars
So rather than fluke it this year.. Id like to have a go at getting them on purpose.. so.. over to you guys.. please explain...

Tia..

You must have had your DSLR a while, that car has not been round a track in anger since about the 1983 season!

[MonkeyHanger]

JustinP1 said:

You must have had your DSLR a while, that car has not been round a track in anger since about the 1983 season!

6th place in the FIA Historic F1 race, 1st July 2007 at Brands. T'was a HSCC meeting

[Piers_K]

HSCC at Brands Justin..

• Edited: Beaten to it**

"Achieving the effect is a combination of focal length vs distance from object, and to a lesser degree shutter speed.
Closer you are to the object = greater 'pivot'
Narrower the focal length = less 'pivot'
Slower shutter speed = more 'pivot'"

Makes sense..
I guess Im right in saying that its also more likely to happen if, as in the posted shot, its taken at an angle. Due to my being above the car, the downward slope of the track (not so obvious in the shot granted) and the car coming towards me, whilst the camera has stayed on a fixed plane (ie 'flat') the car hasn't, hence the pivot point.. and by that token the pivot point could be anywhere within the frame..

Looking back at the other shots I have like this.. that explains that...
Excellent.. Thanks guys.

Edited by Piers_K on Friday 15th February 17:56

[Goldeeno]

Im still learning myself but... i think, (correct me if im worng ) If your shooting at you lowest f number, then you almost need to accept not all the car will come out crisp, you need to think of you photo in layers. With f4 you will get your focused plane, so on side on images and directly infront or behind, then they can work really well, because you focus the car, and with a (i think f4 is a large aperture?) everything else blurrs which is cool.

With your image, as it is a number of planes, you could do with a higher aperture. Say f6 would help, but f8-11 would be better. Your trying to get the whole depth of the car in focus, from front to back and near side to off side, at this angle very hard to do, even with perfect panning, although it would make a huge difference if the pan was perfect. But thats quite hard to do.
Only thing by raising your f from 4 to say 8, your shutter would probably need to go to about 1/40th, im not sure what iso your shooting, but you would probably need to turn that up aswell and you would find it even harder to get clear panning shots.

Dunno if this helps at all lol, kinda waffle really.

[MonkeyHanger]

It's effectively a 3/4 pan shot as opposed to a "normal" pan shot which is taken at a right angle to the camera as the car passes. The best way to avoid the blur (and as said above it IS motion blur not a DOF issue) is simple..get the shutter speed up a bit. Try and get level with the car too rather than looking down on it. Brands has loads of good angles on the GP Circuit.

For that sort of shot i normally shoot anything from 1/200th to 1/400th depending on the speed of the car.

1/400th..



1/200th



And from Brands itself..

1/200th



I haven't got this one in a "postable" size so here's a link..again it's from Brands. I knew getting the whole car sharp would be difficult due to the speed and direction of the car, so i used one of the right hand size focus points to keep the front sharp and allow motion blur at the rear. Shutter speed was 1/160th.

http://gsh-motorsports.fotopic.net/p45352445.html

Edited by MonkeyHanger on Friday 15th February 18:33

[JustinP1]

MonkeyHanger said:

JustinP1 said:

You must have had your DSLR a while, that car has not been round a track in anger since about the 1983 season!

6th place in the FIA Historic F1 race, 1st July 2007 at Brands. T'was a HSCC meeting

I guessed it may have been. Revolutionary at the time, would probably not be too outclassed by the other newer cars. First F1 car I remember, that one!